Australian Awards for University Teaching

The Australian Awards for University Teaching recognise quality teaching practices and outstanding contributions to student learning. Recipients, with the support of their institutions, further contribute to systemic change in learning and teaching through ongoing knowledge sharing and dissemination.

There are five Award programs recognising teaching excellence and outstanding contributions to student learning:

Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning

Awards for Teaching Excellence

Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year

Career Achievement Award

Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning

Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning recognise and reward the diverse contributions made by individuals and teams to the quality of student learning.

Citations are awarded to those who have made a significant contribution to the quality of student learning in a specific area of responsibility over a sustained period, whether they are academic staff, general staff, sessional staff or institutional associates.

Citations provide an opportunity for distinctive institutional missions, values and priorities in learning and teaching to be recognised. Citations are awarded for a range of contributions to student learning, both direct and indirect.

Up to 150 Citations, including the Early Career category, with prize value of $10,000 each, are available in 2017.

Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning

Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning recognise learning and teaching support programs and services that make an outstanding contribution to the quality of student learning and the quality of the student experience of higher education. The programs and services that receive Programme Awards must have demonstrated their effectiveness through rigorous evaluation and set benchmarks for similar activities in other institutions.

The six categories for Programs that Enhance Learning for 2017 are:

Widening participation

Educational partnerships and collaborations with other organisations

Innovation and flexibility in curricula, learning and teaching

Postgraduate education

Student experiences and services supporting learning, development and growth in higher education

Global citizenship and internationalisation

Up to 12 Awards with a prize value of $25,000 each will be granted across the six categories in 2017.

Awards for Teaching Excellence

Teaching Awards celebrate a group of the nation’s most outstanding university teachers in their fields. Teaching Awards give recognition to teachers (individuals and teams) renowned for the excellence of their teaching, who have outstanding presentation skills and who have made a broad and deep contribution to enhancing the quality of learning and teaching in higher education.

The Priority Area for 2017 is: High impact intervention for progression, retention and attainment.

Up to 16 Awards, each with a value of $25,000, will be granted across the eight categories in 2017.

Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year

The Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year is the premier university teaching award and is presented to one of the recipients of the Awards for Teaching Excellence. The award is made to an academic with an exceptional record of advancing student learning, educational leadership and scholarly contribution to teaching and learning. The recipient is selected from among those who have received an Award for Teaching Excellence in the same year.

The award has a value of $50,000.

Career Achievement

The Minister for Education and Training will occasionally award a Career Achievement Award to one or more individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to learning and teaching, and who are recognised throughout the higher education sector. This Award is given to individuals whose career achievements in learning and teaching in higher education have had a major influence and left an enduring legacy.